On Razor's Edge
by fallenfairy4
Summary: After months of silently mourning Stefan together, Elena and Damon reach a breaking point that changes the delicate balance of their relationship forever.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own TVD, or any of its characters. If anyone figures out how to obtain a Damon Salvatore, let me know ;)

Summary: After months of silently mourning Stefan together, Elena and Damon reach a breaking point that changes the delicate balance of their relationship forever.

On Razor's Edge

Prologue:

They mutually agree that they'll mourn him silently together. They shut themselves in the boarding house and exist in frozen camaraderie. They both seem to get that in their state of mind any brushing of skin would lead to an explosion; culminating in twisted and sweat-stained sheets. Until they're really ready to confront the feelings they have for one another, they'll abstain from anything physical. They usually lay in the same bed together, but always with the full width of the bed in-between their bodies. Even though their bodies don't touch, their eyes never waver for each other's. It makes them feel like their beings are intertwined so tightly, they'll never be able to separate. Elena knows that they're balancing on a razor's edge. She just wonders how long it will take before Damon and she tumble off.

Nothing could have prepared Damon and Elena for the shock of finding Stefan covered in blood and smiling like a choir boy on Sunday. The initial shock at finding Stefan in such a hedonistic state was compounded when he assured them that he was in no need of rescue, and that they could be on their merry way. He'd barely spared a glance for Elena before patting Damon on the back and speeding away with Klaus, to partake in what Elena could only assume was more raping and pillaging. Elena and Damon must have stared stupidly in the direction Stefan had taken off from for an hour before turning to one another and stumbling back towards the car.

The first week following their disastrous 'reunion' with Stefan was definitely the hardest. The full day drive it took to get back to Mystic Falls was spent in complete silence. They were both in shock; Elena so much so that she couldn't even cry. However, as soon as Damon pulled into their driveway, things changed. Elena immediately sprinted out of the car with the intention of throwing herself into Stefan's bed and never emerging again. Upon reaching the door to his bedroom however, Elena found she couldn't enter. Instead Elena stood in front of Stefan's room for a full five minutes, before realizing she'd never be able to set foot in their again. It'd be too painful. Turning away from Stefan's bedroom door, Elena meets Damon's eyes before slinking down the hallway towards Damon's room. There was no way either of them were going to be alone that night.

If not meaner, then they're definitely more cynical now. For the first couple of weeks following Stefan's refusal to come home, Elena and Damon had taken to drinking, and not much else. Elena wore one of the last shirts she'd seen Stefan in for a whole two weeks without washing it in-between. Damon was gentlemanly enough not to point out the unsanitary nature of this habit she'd picked up. Damon figured that Elena most likely would have staked him if he'd dared point that out. Instead, Damon simply joins Elena in her drinking. The both of them wander around the boarding house like ghosts, with never emptying tumblers of scotch clutched in their hands. They'd taken to sitting in the drafty hallway outside Stefan's room. One afternoon while sitting in that hallway, Elena asked Damon what he'd do when he saw Stefan again.

"I think the blood and the smile he had smeared across his face made it pretty damn clear that he's not coming home any time soon, Elena."

"I know that. But you both have eternity. So in 100, 200 years from now, when I'm nothing more than dust, what are you going to say when you see Stefan again?" Damon didn't say anything, but his face turned to stone. That night Elena dreamt of Damon reuniting with Stefan as if nothing had ever happened, while her body rotted beneath wet soil. Elena never cried as hard as she did that night.

Sometimes they take long drives. It's always in the middle of night, around 4 in the morning, when no one exists but the two of them and the open road. Whoever had the more miserable day would gain full control of the car radio for the duration of their trip. There was never any argument; they always just knew who'd had the more challenging day and conceded to the other without fail. They moved and interacted in perfect harmony these days, and in the back of Elena's mind she knew this should have worried her. But mostly Elena's just relieved at the comfort it brings.

One afternoon Damon is rendered completely speechless to find Elena in Stefan's room. She hadn't stepped foot in there since they'd returned from their 'Save Stefan, Save the world' farce of a mission. After getting over the initial shock, Damon just stood back and watched the girl tear his brother's room to pieces. He mostly watched in complete silence, but when Elena let out a particularly piercing shriek of fury, Damon figured he'd lend a helping hand. He was a gentleman that way.

Elena paused in her current task of ripping Stefan's shirt apart with her bare hands to watch Damon. Elena started in utter shock as Damon began to whistle while pushing all of Stefan's things into a huge pile in the middle of the floor. Still whistling, Damon looked up and gave Elena a grin so sexy that she felt her empty stomach tighten in response. She watched helplessly as Damon produced a match from his pocket and lit it, producing a single orange-blue flame. After studying the flame for a moment, Damon looked back up at her, as if asking her permission to proceed. Elena felt herself grin for the first time in weeks. Damon let go of the match, and the two of them watched Stefan's possessions go up in flames. For some reason, the two of them couldn't stop giggling that night, and even took each other's arm and danced around the bonfire like 10 year olds high on sugar.

After a couple months filled with self-pitying, Damon knocks on Elena's door and offers her his hand. Silently she takes it and decides to just go with the flow. She doesn't hesitate when he takes her into the crowded Grill – even though her heart is racing in discomfort. It comforts her to know that this is the last place Damon wants to be either. But she trusts him enough now to know he's doing what's best for the two of them. She doesn't know when she started thinking about Damon and her as a 'we,' but she has. And it isn't anything close to the 'we' she thought of when she was with Stefan. Damon and she were somehow just _**more**_. She feels people stare at the two of them with a mixture of shock and pity, and Elena is frighteningly used to the rage she feels at the thought. She never used to be a hateful person. She takes comfort in the fact that not only does Damon **not** judge her, but he understands her feelings only all too well. Damon doesn't drop her hand until they make it all the way over to the bar. As soon as they sit, Damon casually drapes his arm around her shoulder. Elena practically sighs in relief and knows better than to question how Damon manages to get her a drink. They don't talk to anyone, or to each other; but that's only because they don't need to. They can read each other's every thought by every shift they make with their bodies. Elena meets Damon's eyes wearily as she notices Caroline trying to discreetly watch them from the other side of the room. While Elena doesn't relish the idea of brushing Caroline off, Elena knows she'll be powerless to stop herself if Caroline approaches her. And Elena really doesn't want to hurt the blonde's feelings.

Catching the direction of Elena's gaze, Damon turns and catches Caroline's shell shocked expression. After a month of avoiding any human contact besides Elena, his point blank gaze must have shocked the poor girl. They'd been there long enough, no need to overwhelm themselves. Draining the rest of his scotch, Damon slams the glass down and picks Elena's jacket up. His companion struggles to keep up with the faster vampire and stumbles when moving too quickly off the barstool. Damon instinctively moves to catch Elena with one muscled arm wrapping completely around her waist. The movement brings Elena exceedingly close into his chest. Both are unprepared for the intimate contact and freeze in each other's embrace. Neither of them moves. Although spending practically every moment together for the past several months, they'd both instinctively known to be ridiculously careful in maintaining physical boundaries. A precaution that seemed like a good idea at the time was proven glaringly necessary now. The feeling produced by their bodies being pressed up against one another, was nothing short of dangerous. As it was, Damon was clenching his jaw and grinding his teeth together in an effort to restrain himself. It wouldn't take much to spread her against the bar and thrust so deeply inside of her, that he'd never be able to get out again. Audience be damned. He trembled with the effort it took to restrain himself. Finally, he pulls himself slowly away from the girl. With his body close but no longer touching hers, Damon looks into Elena's eyes and almost drops to his knees at the breathless expression adorning Elena's beautiful face. Damon holds his breath and takes Elena by the elbow, leading her out the door. They'd had enough excitement for one night. While walking Elena silently back to his car, it occurs to Damon that being alone and away from prying eyes might not be the best idea right now.

If it were possible, the following weeks are filled with more tension than usual. They go out more, but still don't interact with anyone other than each other. One cloudy afternoon Damon mentions half heartedly that she should give Bonnie and Caroline a call. Elena's surprised at the bite in her own voice when she counters back that he should give Alaric a call. They stare each other down for a full minute before soundlessly going back to their respective books. They're sitting on opposite ends of the couch and Elena's legs are stretched across the length of it, with Elena's toes stopping just short of touching Damon's thigh. Without looking up, Elena feels Damon caress her ankle with his fingertip. Elena sighs and knows Damon hears it when he wraps his whole hand around her ankle, clutching it tightly within his grasp. They've forgiven each other.

The next time they consciously touch is a week after what Elena coined 'the couch incident.' Days following said 'couch incident,' Elena still feels the heat from where Damon's hand had been wrapped around her ankle. These feelings unsettled Elena, and so she surprised herself when requesting Damon bring them to her parent's lake house. When they arrived, Elena busied herself by cooking her mother's favorite meal consisting of chicken cutlet and spaghetti.

She'd turned on the radio and hummed mindlessly while fixing the meal as Damon leaned against the doorframe and watched her. He hadn't seen her so content in a long time. Feeling Damon's stare, Elena turned and met Damon's gaze. With flour streaked across her cheek, and a gentle smile adorning her face, Damon had never seen anything so beautiful, and his heart thudded painfully hard in acknowledgment. After dinner, Elena had put on a dusty old record and swayed her body back and forth in place. Bashfully, Elena explained that this had been the song her parents danced to at their wedding, and Elena had always loved it. Without realizing it, Damon had strode across the floor and taken Elena into his arms. They held each other close and mostly just enjoyed the moment. Their breath intermingled, and they both felt a shift occur between the two of them.

They've both managed to get back to a semblance of a normal life. Elena had begun taking college classes online, while Damon went out alone to the Grill about once a week. They still preferred to spend all their time together, no matter how unbearable the silent tension between the two of them had become. They both seemed to come to the realization that their strange isolated lifestyle was no longer in response to Stefan's leaving. While Damon had no qualms in admitting it, Elena was a little more hard pressed to admit that they'd isolated themselves simply because they had everything they needed in each other (even though they'd never _**had**_ each other). Occasionally Elena made an obligatory phone call to Bonnie or Caroline. They'd both stopped begging Elena incessantly to get out of the house and spend time with them. They knew it was simply a lost cause at this point, but Elena still sensed their disbelief and confusion. She couldn't blame them, she wouldn't understand it if she were in their shoes either. During one particularly memorable phone call Caroline had blurted out, 'don't you ever get bored? I mean just how much sex can you guys have anyway?' Elena didn't dignify that question with an answer, and instead asked Caroline how her mother was doing.

However, even Elena could admit it was more than a little odd that Damon and she didn't get bored with their new lifestyle…especially considering they weren't having sex. The past two weeks had become so strained between the two of them that they'd started to avoid being in the same room with one another. Yet, they still preferred being locked away (separately), in the boarding house together. But even when Damon was all the way on the opposite end of the boarding house, Elena could still feel him buzzing like electricity underneath the surface of her skin. They'd both contaminated each other's blood like a poison, and were patiently waiting it out until the pain got too unbearable. Eventually they'd have no choice but to reach for the cure. It scared Elena that that point was almost upon them. And judging from Damon's tense behavior, the feeling was mutual.

While the sexual tension was always humming in the background like an annoying wasp, they'd learned to deal with it … without avoiding one another. Summer came, and with it the usual Mystic Falls functions. In the early evening Elena beckons Damon to accompany her to an outdoor screening of "Beauty and the Beast." While they're both nowhere near as social as they used to be, Elena likes to attend the founding family functions. They never fail to remind her of her mom. Damon knows this, and never leaves Elena's side the whole night. He knows that as much as she wants to attend these functions, she'd never get through it without him by her side. Most of the town's people know, and grudgingly accept the changes in the young Gilbert girl and her handsome companion. Still, the rumors run rampant. Just what went on behind the closed doors of the Salvatore boarding house?

They both hear the whisperings that follow them everywhere like a shadow. All the gossip does is further cement their belief that they're better off alone. They had both grown way beyond letting idyll gossip bother them in the slightest. Damon hurried to spread the blanket he'd brought over the grass so Elena could lounge comfortably while watching the movie.

Watching Damon spread the blankets out does strange things to Elena's emotions. An overwhelming swell of affection to rises so swiftly within Elena that she has to work her throat several times before being able to swallow it all down. So when they finally settle down in all the blankets and pillows Damon had provided, Elena finds herself unsurprised when she'd scooted as close as she could get to him. Elena rests her head on his muscled shoulder and observes Damon's throat; it's his turn to swallow his emotions down. They sit that way the rest of the night, with music and a cool night breeze surrounding and caressing their flesh. Damon pulled Elena even closer into his chest, under the guise of keeping her warm with his body heat. They both know however that it isn't his internal body temperature keeping Elena warm.

Soon after the evening in the town square, Elena slips her hand into Damon's while they stroll down the street together. As she laces their fingers together, they both realize that it means something more this time.

They fight more now, and you wouldn't think that foreshadowed the evolution of their relationship, but Elena knows better. They actually have the energy now to care, even about the simple aspects of their lives together. When making breakfast one morning, the clash of their tempers results in Elena dumping raw egg over the top of Damon's head.

He'd stared at her for a minute before throwing Elena over his shoulder and unceremoniously dropping Elena onto the living room couch. Damon crawled on top of her, tickling her and delighting in the squeals of laughter that gurgled out of Elena's mouth. Without really meaning to, Damon finds every curve of Elena's body enmeshed with the contours of his own. An unbearable heat burns through his veins, incinerating his blood until Damon doesn't even feel like a separate entity anymore. Instead Damon's become some kind of incubus, drawling life and affixing to Elena's form. Elena's eyes are shimmering up at him and Damon just can't help himself anymore. He's wanted her forever. She'd been unreachable for so long now that even the thought of having her breaks him out into a sweat. He hadn't even known that was possible for a vampire. Damon feels her heartbeat thudding hard against his chest, and Damon nearly weeps at the feeling.

"Can I say I love you yet, Elena?" The fire behind them crackles, echoing the electricity that is flickering between them now. The glow from the fire throws an orange like halo around Elena, and Damon is enraptured with the unearthly image she makes. But mostly, Damon is ensnared by the gentleness he see's in her eyes.

Elena traces Damon's jaw line with the palm of her hand, feeling the tickle of Damon's stubble against her soft skin. She tries to ignore the hardness of his body, and how it makes Elena's body come alive in a way it _**never**_ has before. But she wants to do this right, and there are things they need to talk about before she gives herself to him completely. "Escort me back to my room, darling."

They don't turn on any lights as they climb the darkened staircase together. Damon has Elena huddled against the side of his body, and they both just breath one another in. When they reach the doorway to Elena's bedroom, a sudden hunger descends upon Damon. He pushes Elena against the wall with just his hand pressed low against her stomach. He keeps her there for a moment and his burning gaze feels like it literally sets Elena on fire. Reading the desire on her face, Damon abruptly crashes into Elena, and descends upon her mouth with an accuracy that disorients Elena to the point of deliria. He devours her. He uses his lips, tongue, and teeth to claim Elena like an explorer claiming a newly discovered land. Elena can feel the triumph coming off him in waves. When Damon finally pulls back, Elena feels thoroughly ravaged, like he'd just had his way with her seven times over. Elena stumbles backward, reaching her hand behind her to fumble with the doorknob. Damon lunges for her again, bringing her swiftly back into his arms and burying his face against the side of her neck. He begins nibbling and sucking at the hypersensitive flesh and Elena mewls at the unexpected pleasure it brings. Damon's lips find her ripened ones and using his blunt teeth, he bites down, drawing out a thin line of blood. He pulls back enough to watch the thin line of crimson trickle slowly down her chin, towards her neck. Leaning in, keeping his eyes locked on hers, Damon licks it all up. Struggling for air, Elena feels Damon cup her face between his large hands, forcing her to meet his gaze. The air is thin with unresolved sexual tension boiling between the two of them. They look at each other for a minute before Damon leans in and places a lingering kiss against her silken cheek with more tenderness than Elena expected.

"I'll see you first thing tomorrow morning," Damon whispered gently. Slowly Elena forces herself to back away from him and into her bedroom. They smile softly at each other before Elena finally closes the door and collapses against it.

That night Elena gets no sleep. Her body's restlessness causes the bed sheets to come clear off her mattress, and eventually Elena forces herself to get up and rearrange them. Damon and her had been balancing across a razor's edge for eons now; it looked like they we're about to fall off. Elena smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry guys this is not a chapter update! However in my rush to publish "On Razor's Edge," I forgot to thank everyone who's reviewed and/or added me to their story alerts/favorite/etc… lists! It means so much to me, so please review guys! Seriously I feel like Stefan on human blood when I get a review, those things are like crack ;)

Some of you guys asked me if I'll be continuing "On Razor's Edge." I had the idea of maybe adding a second chapter continuing the story, but mostly from Damon's point of view. Let me know what you guys think. If there's an interest and I'm inspired I'll definitely try my best to continue it. I'm also still working on "Midnight Visit," so for those of you guys reading that…. don't worry I'm still going to be updating.

Seriously thanks to anyone whose read any of my stories, and especially to all of you that took the time to review, it really keeps me motivated!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not the Vampire Diaries…and certainly not Damon Salvatore ( I just have to learn to accept that…sigh)

Title: Precipice of Paradise

To all my dear readers, I'm sorry it took so long to update but I had a very bad case of writer's block. To be honest I struggled with this chapter, because I think part of me feels like this story was meant to be a oneshot. However, I couldn't ignore the lovely requests for more. So I took this story in another direction, and its actually going to be a threeshot. So please review, especially since I feel unsure with this chapter. Chapter 2 definitely has a lighter feel to it, very different from chapter 1. However, for all of you that love the angst, don't worry chapter 3 will be filled with it ;) Please, please, please review! All reviews mean the world to me, and thank you all for reading!

When Elena wakes up the next morning it's with a smile on her face. Stretching lazily with the sort of contentment only a person with something to look forward to feels, Elena lets herself relive what happened last night. The way she felt in his arms, the way he'd looked at her….a giggle escapes Elena's lips. Since when was she the type of girl that giggled? Flinging her arms and legs out across the bed, Elena lets herself bounce and squeal in excitement. She was acting like a young girl in love. When was the last time she felt like this…with Stefan? In some respects yes, but Elena can admit to herself now that the honeymoon period with Stefan had been ridiculously short-lived with all the supernatural problems that seemed to crop up immediately. But for once in her life, Elena didn't want to examine her feelings; she just let herself be happy.

They meet in the kitchen that morning. Elena's giddiness from earlier melts into something deeper, more molten as Damon stares at her. They're standing on opposite ends of the counter, and Elena has never seen Damon look quite like this. For one, he's wearing a bright blue button down shirt, a color he's never included before in his black themed uniform. And it hazily enters Elena's mind that it was a good thing he didn't. The blue brings out his eyes and makes a stunning contrast to his midnight black hair, and pearly white skin. He has a soft, tender smile on his face. And though his smile his tender, his eyes are _**smoldering**_. Elena takes the first step forward, and she realizes that the thing that's lighting up Damon's features (that she's never seen in him before) is hope. He's hopeful, and that's what catapults her body into Damon's arms. She knows they need to talk, that they need to take this relationship slow but she lets him hold her, and caress her for a long time.

As Damon holds her in his unbreakable embrace, Elena thinks they're not balancing on a dangerous razor's edge anymore, but they are trembling on the precipice of paradise. Damon presses a moist kiss to her neck and heat coils in her belly. Oh, yes Elena thinks as she clutches Damon's silky hair between her fingers, they were on the precipice of paradise. And for once in Elena life, she thinks she knows exactly what it would take to reach it.

It doesn't take Damon long to figure out that Elena is the boss in this relationship. The morning following their explosive encounter, Elena had explained that she wanted to do _**this**_ right. Apparently that meant taking it slow, and letting Damon woo her. In a way, Damon feels relieved. Even if he didn't believe the pretty words flowing seamlessly from her lips like a dream; the softness in her eyes convinces him. She really wanted them to work. And although he's dying to be with her in _**that**_ way, now that he's got more than a fighting chance… nothing's going to stand in his way, not this time. After all, Damon was born a southern gentleman. If his girl wanted to be wooed, then wooing is exactly what she'd get.

He's really outside of his comfort zone right now, but watching Elena barely able to contain her smile seems to make his discomfort more than worth it. So what if she wants him to push her on a tire swing At least it wasn't dancing, this at least should keep Damon's sanity intact. They'd discovered that dancing in their current 'courtship' phase of their relationship is actually quite torturous. Bodies pressed tightly together plus breath intermingling does not equal self control in Damon's calculations. So they don't dance. Pushing Elena on a swing is all very chaste and Victorian era-ish, and Damon's ridiculously proud of himself for thinking of it. Although …from his position he can see where her top has ridden up, exposing a thin strip of tanned skin above her low-riser jeans. Sighing at the sight, Damon puts more strength behind his next push, sending Elena flying and shouting with glee.

They don't really kiss, and he wonders if it's more a torture or a relief. The brief taste he had of her that night was nowhere near enough. The only thing it accomplished was wetting his appetite. He almost feels like a rabid animal that's had its prey taken away after only one delicious bite. He wants her. He wants her so bad he clenches his fists almost every time he sees her these days. But, being able to kiss her while maintaining boundaries…well Damon's never been good with maintaining boundaries. Besides, he promises himself every morning and every night that he's going to do right by Elena, do things her way. They mostly hold hands. Sometimes, when she's wearing something skimpy like the summer dress she has on now that has him cursing, Damon runs his fingers down the length of her bare back. He knows for a fact that Stefan and Elena didn't have the most active sex life, and it has Damon seriously questioning his brother's sexual orientation. There was that one time when they were kids when Stefan put on their mothers lipstick…. But hey he's not going to complain, it's not like he likes to think about his brother having sex with his girl. Damon finds himself swallowing hard, and pictures throwing Elena down right on that rug in front of the fireplace and….yea best not to even go there.

He doesn't want to give her the wrong impression, he really doesn't. But while Elena has never looked happier, he has a constant pained expression on his face. It's not that he's _**not**_ happy; nothing could be further from the truth actually. But there's a hell of a lot more going on underneath the surface that no one could possibly understand. So while Elena is all smiles and contented sighs, Damon is burning eyes and a frozen countenance. Elena doesn't say anything, but he thinks she understands, because every once in a while she'll give him a sympathetic look and kiss his check.

He's just so damn insecure, especially considering they haven't taken their relationship out of the courtship phase. She just doesn't really seem like his yet, and it's driving him insane. You would think that he'd be contented, especially considering that a year ago he thought the only way Elena would even dream of getting close to him was for Stefan's benefit…and now he's just a few weeks away from getting everything. But he feels like a mad man being poked with a stick. If he thought he was protective of her before, it's nothing compared to whatever he is now. It's like a sickness. He's becomes some kind of possessive freak that literally grows deranged whenever she's out of sight.

He's lucked out so far, she hasn't wanted to be far from him; she hasn't since Stefan's departure. He knows to some extent Elena's come to rely on him, he's not _**that**_ insecure. He's seen how she's almost completely cut off everyone from her past… except for him. He's not gonna lie, he likes it. He likes it way more than he should. He likes being her everything, her tether to solid ground. It makes him feel guilty. He knows when you love someone you're supposed to want what's best for them, and he does. He definitely wants what's best for Elena, what's going to make her happy. But he can't lie and say it doesn't make his blood run hot, and his breath catch at the thought of being more than enough for Elena ( to the point that she doesn't need any others company). It would be laughable to say he hadn't felt that way for Elena since almost the second they met.

She's so fucking beautiful it's painful….literally. She's currently changing the cotton sheets on his massive king sized bed; and the combination of her in short shorts and bending over his bed, well it's painful. The fact that he loves her more than anything is his saving grace. She's been through so much during her very short life that he finds himself willing to do anything to make her happy. Even scarier is that this thought _**doesn't**_ scare him. So if it's going to make Elena happy to do things her way for awhile...well he's getting off easy. Blowing it when he's _**this**__**close**_ to getting the girl is simply unacceptable. Ironically enough, the fact that he loves her makes it a million times harder to resist her. Life was a bitch like that.

When her Aunt Jenna comes back from backpacking through Europe….they have problems. Damon's not dumb enough to think that even though Jenna thinks he's 'ridiculously hot' she's all of a sudden going to approve of him being with her niece. But the increased presence of Damon in Elena's life is nowhere near the only problem Jenna has. Elena's aunt hadn't been around when Stefan had gone over to the dark side with Mystic Fall's very own version of Darth Vader. Town gossip had promptly informed Jenna of Elena's anti-social behavior over the last 8 months, and her current habitation in the Salvatore boarding house. Jenna had practically broken down the doors to their house in her anger.

It crosses Damon's mind that maybe, just maybe, if Jenna had been around for all of that, then maybe Elena wouldn't have attached herself to Damon in the way she had. Of course he doesn't really know the answer to that, and even suspects that that isn't the case. But Damon's always been a fatalist, and part of him is waiting for the other shoe to drop with Elena. She's simply too good to be true, too good to be his. So he comes up with a game plan to keep Elena. It won't be difficult for him; all he has to do is shower her with all the love and attention he's had to contain for eons. But now, he can let it all out and Damon knows no one would ever be able to love her the way he does. He'll treasure her every sigh, respect her every word, and adore her every mistake. He'll treat her so good she'll never be able to leave him. If all else fails, he'll bring out some of those 'moves she's never seen before'….. in the bedroom of course. Yes, that sounded like a good plan to him.

Although Mystic Falls is always going to be home for the both of them, when Damon suggests traveling Elena gives him a grateful look and nods her assent. While things had been difficult in this town before, its' just gotten worse. Stefan's leaving, combined with their joint seclusion, well gossip had run rampant. But now that their rare outings are accompanied with hand holding and what Elena described so charmingly as 'canoodling,' gossip doesn't even begin to cover what's going on in this small town. And even though Elena is definitely strong enough to hold up against idle town gossip, he's seen how its' started to wear on her…especially since the gossip had taken a nasty turn. So he'd made all the arrangements.

For some reason unknown to him, the smell of ocean and sand clinging to her tanned skin makes Damon want to lick her all over. So he does. Elena lets him, within reason…but still, he knew taking her on vacation was a good idea.

He knew things couldn't go on the way they had been for too much longer…he just never thought things would take a turn for the worse instead of the better…or maybe he did. Elena had put on a cute sundress and greeted him right at the front door when he'd come back from the blood bank. She'd smiled her little smile and Damon was shrugging his leather jacket back on before he'd even gotten it off fully off. When they got to the grill he fully intended to mind his own business and focus completely on Elena. But when he turns his back for a minute to get another drink and he finds the creep with his hand on Elena's thigh …he loses it.

Calling is for pussies. It's that firm belief that has Damon camped out on Elena's front porch, with Jenna shooting him looks so dirty he's surprised he hasn't started to omit some ungodly odor. He hears movement in the kitchen and as he catches Jenna throwing him a particularly cutting glare through Miranda Gilbert's lace trimmed curtains, Damon's honestly surprised he hasn't come down with the bubonic plague. Obviously, Jenna was picturing it and various other fatal injuries happening to him in her mind.

"It's been really good catching up with you too, Jenna!" He watches Jenna pull even the curtains tightly shut now, and Damon admits that last sarcastic comment may have been a tad inappropriate given the circumstances. Circumstance being Jenna's abject loathing of him and his man slaughter rap of course. Shrugging to himself Damon fixes the cuffs on his designer shirt. 'Can't win them all,' he thinks, before making himself comfortable on the Gilbert's front porch swing. Of course, a little loathing wouldn't stop Damon from staying in front of Elena's front door until she literally had no other choice but to come face to face with him. Rubbing his hands together in anticipation, Damon couldn't wait to be in her presence again. He hated it when Elena was mad at him. Glancing at Elena's curtain drawn window, he feels a trickle of unease float through him. It's not like she could stay angry with him _**forever**_…. could she? God, when had he become such a chick?

Apparently, she could stay mad for awhile. At least, that's how he's going to interpret Elena slamming the front door in his face. In hindsight, he can admit that screaming after her that 'she couldn't stay in there forever,' may have been a _**tad**_ childish. At least, that's what Bonnie and Caroline tell him when they show up unannounced at Elena's home armed with ice cream, popcorn, and movies. Damon's still camped out on Elena's porch when Bonnie and Caroline leave the next morning.

"Enjoy the sleepover girls?" Damon can't help but wiggle his eyebrows and leer seductively at them. He knows it'll piss Bonnie off.

"Suck my dick, Damon." Bonnie goes as far as accompanying that sentiment with a hand gesture in his direction. Well, damn…he never pegged the witch for being outright obscene. What would Emily say? He voices that thought out loud to Bonnie's back as she gets into her car. Caroline sidles up to him silently, and Damon holds back a curse when she takes him by surprise. She glances wearily in Bonnie's direction as she continuously honks her horn trying to hurry Caroline along.

"I don't think you should be above groveling at this point," Caroline says before shooting him a sunny smile. Obviously the thought of him groveling was enough to brighten up her whole day. And Damon's honest enough to concede that he was enough of a jerk to Caroline in the past to warrant her glee. Caroline's smile ups a watt or two, when Damon doesn't reject her suggestion. Obviously the thought of him … on his knees…. begging forgiveness from a girl is probably enough to bring a smile to Caroline's face for _**years**_. Maybe if he tapes it and sends it to Caroline in the mail, Elena will forgive him that much quicker for bringing a little joy into her friends' undead-life.

Elena bites back a smile while watching Damon stumble through his first attempt at a real apology. For a woman who was blaringly furious an hour ago, its' strange just how quickly Damon can make all her anger just melt away. She never really liked it when Matt flirted with her anyway. And really, he didn't need to stay in the hospital for _**that**_ long….

In a way so like them, they come to a silent agreement to pack up what's left of Stefan's things. He see's sadness on Elena's face, but honestly….he's seen Elena look just as sad when watching "The Notebook." She sighs while packing some of Stefan's books away in a dusty old cardboard box and shakes her head softly. She's having some kind of internal dialogue and Damon wishes he was that pansy idiot from that "Twilight" book with the mind-reading ability thing he had. He hates that he still feels so insecure, he wonders if he'll every feel anything but insecure when it comes to Elena, the love of his existence. But then, like the sun coming out after a rain shower, Elena catches his gaze and smiles at him. He swears his heart stops with its sweetness.

When Stefan comes back it's with no forewarning. It's a normal day, overcast and cloudy, and Stefan makes no noise when entering the boarding house. He scares the shit out of Elena when she finds him reclining on their living room couch, slurping one of Damon's blood bags and flipping through their t.v. channels faster than a sugar high tween girl can text. He feels like an earthquake has just gone off inside his head. He can practically hear the ground tremble and erupt beneath his feet, throwing his whole world into chaos and disarray. Damon is only slightly shocked to discover just how badly he wishes that Stefan could just slip beneath the cracks, never to be seen from again so he can just stop complicating their lives.

Watching Elena's jaw drop in shock and eyes shine with tears upon discovering Stefan in their living room, and any guilt Damon harbored at wanting his own brother to cease to exist, dissipates completely.

Elena takes a tentative step towards Stefan, her whole body trembling, and Damon knows. This was why he'd had that feeling of dread, why he'd been so insecure. He feels like he's about to go literally insane as he watches tears steadily drip down Elena's beautiful face. He can't lose her before he's even gotten her yet. They hadn't even started. Damon let's a guttural roar escape his chest and Stefan crouches into an attack position. From the corner of Damon's eye he see's Elena stagger back, a hand coming up to her mouth in shock. He's not letting his brother win, he can't. Not when they'd been so close to paradise.

.


End file.
